One of the major concerns in product end life management of Information Technology (IT) equipment deals with the security of data and information (personal records, financial data, etc.) contained in a hard drive. Whether the asset is owned or leased, emerging privacy laws can hold businesses responsible for personal, sensitive and business data compromised during usage and at disposal. Data cleansing techniques, which include physical impairment and/or destruction solutions, such as, shredding or pulverization of the hard drives, magnetic degaussing techniques, acid or reactant baths, etc. all have drawbacks. As such, there is a need to effectively secure data and information that is also cost efficient.